VOGONS


First post, by Atlantis

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Recently I bought new retro PC for my small collection - COMPAQ 386S/20. It was the beginning of the long series of misfortunes. Fortunately device was not expensive.
It was sold as in "working condition", however lacking drives.

First disaster: front panel of tha case had been destroyed in transport. Plastic is shattered to the tiny pieces. I was able to wield some of them together. Maybe I will be able to repair it with fiber glass putty and repaint it, but i wouldn't be perfect... I made a complaint, but I do not think that I will be able to get ny money back.
Fortunately computer worked. Well - sort of. If was showing famous 165 error, pointing to the problem with depleted battery inside Dallas RTC module. So I performed popular mod, drilling into module and attaching external CR2032 battery. Unfortunately after powering in again, nothing happened. Screen is blank, there is no "beep" from the speaker. Diagnostic card shows codes "47 43", "47 44" or "47 45" the last one appears to change depending to the types and configuration of SIMM modules i currently use. But I am not sure. is ISA diagnostic card even reliable tool when it comes to those computers? What kind of BIOS they used?

Is there any hope for repair?

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